“Sinto the team motivated and ready for the game. Playing at home is always positive, having our fans on our side, we hope to win and convince”, said the 29-year-old Brazilian player, at the press conference previewing the game against the Austrians.
The Sporting de Braga squad suffered a gastrointestinal infection that forced the game against Gil Vicente, from the I League, to be postponed, which should have been played on Sunday, but the player says he feels “the team is ready for tomorrow’s game (Thursday)”.
Vítor Carvalho regretted, however, that the “numerous casualties throughout this week” had made preparation for the game difficult.
“We didn’t have time to prepare so well for the game, because we had difficulty training all together, but I don’t think that can be an excuse for us, on the contrary, we will face the game with all the desire and commitment we always have and with the ambition to win”, he stated.
The central defender even said he was the player most affected: “I think I was the one who got the worst of it, I needed to go to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday, but I only recovered (fully) on Monday afternoon, which was when I went home, I spent two days at the club. But now, I’m fine, I’m 100 percent”, he said.
The Brazilian player said he expected difficulties from the Austrian team.
“We know the way they play, with a line of five in defense. If I could choose, an extended result would be very good, because we know how difficult it is to play the second leg away. We know it will be a difficult game and we need our best version”, he said.
Starting his fourth season in Minho, Vítor Carvalho said he was fully adapted to the central defender position.
“I’ve been playing this role for over a year now, I feel a lot of trust from the coach and the technical team to be able to play there, I feel like I’ve been playing good games, I had my best numbers at Braga with the ‘mister’ (Carlos Vicens), in terms of numbers and assists and playing in a new position”, he noted.
Sporting Braga and Austria Vienna face each other at 8pm on Thursday, at the Braga Municipal Stadium, a game that will be refereed by Maltese Ishmael Barbara.
